Improved railway-switch signal



J. F. MORSELL.

Railroad-Switch Signal.

Patented Dec. 15, 1868.

PATENT OF ICE.

I. FERGUSON MORSELL, OF STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT.-

lMPRO V E D RAILWAY-SWITCH S'IGNAL.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 84,896, dated December15, 1868.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it'known that I, I. FERGUSON MORSELL,

v of Stamford, in the county of Fair-field and State of Connecticut,have invented a new and Improved Railroad-Switch Signal and I do herebydeclare that the following is a full, clear,

-and exact description of the same, reference being bad to the annexeddrawings, making part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is afront elevation of a railroadswitch signal constructed in accordancewith my present invention, the lower portion being shown partly insection. Fig. 2 is a cross-section taken on the plane of the line 00 00,Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section taken on the plane ofcholine y 3 Fig. 1.

My invention consists in the combination with each other, of avertically-arranged vibratory lever, provided'with a colored plate,which is thereby moved opposite to and away from an opening in astationary board of the usual or any proper construction, and alsoprovided with a weight or its equivalent for causing said lever toautomatically assume a perpendicular position when liberated by thebreaking ofthe main line of track,aud consequently bring the coloredplate before said openingto indicate danger; ofa rod attached to theswitch-bar for operating the signal when the switch-lever is moved, andof a stand for supporting the above-specified members of thecombination.

It is, of course, well known thatit is the cus tom on railroads todisplay a red'signal to denote danger-stop and a white signal toindicate all right-track clear, and this custom is followed both nightand day.

In the accompanying drawings, Adesignates a stand or supporting-frame,at the upper end of which a show-board or plate, B, of the ordinary orany suitable construction ,is arranged. The said board B is providedwith an opening, a, through which light may pass. I have shown a blackboard, 0, having a white inner surface, which can be seen at a distancethrough the opening a, the side of the board B facing the approachingtrain being, as usual, painted black to contrast more strongly with thewhite face of the board 0, as seen through the open ing a, or with thelight which passes through the said opening. I have shown the stand A soconstructed as to inclose the working parts of the signal; but this isnot necessary, nor is a black board necessary.

D isa rod or lever, pivoted at a suitable point of its length to somepart of the stand in such manner that it shall have alateral mo: 'tionas to its respective ends. The lower end of this rod is weighted orcarries aweight, b, which is so constructed or hung as to cause the rodto automatically assume a vertical position 'when liberated from adevice holding it away from such position. The upper end of the rod orlever B carries a plate of colored material, 0, (red glass, forinstance,) which, when the rod is perpendicular, is in a positionopposite theopening (6 in the board 13, and therefore displays thesignal of danger, indicating that the continuity of the main track isbroken or that the switch is open, and which, when the said line iscontinuous, is kept away from theopen- -ing and behind the board B. Thedevice I have shown for operating the lever or rod D is a rod, E,attached to the rails or to a connecting-rod uniting them, as found mostdesirable.

The rails are moved in the ordinary way by a capstan or switch-lever.

I have shown in red outline in Fig. 2 a gasjet which may be lighted atnight, and thus displaya white signal at all times exceptwhen thetransparent plate 0 isiuterposed; and I have shown the signal asarranged for a line of railroad having a double track, in which case itis only necessary that the signal be observable in the direction fromwhich the train approaches; and I will remark that should the signal beused where thereis only a single track, in which case it would need tobe visible from either direction, two boards B'would be em-.

ployed, and for a night-signal there would be two plates 0 connected tothe rod D, soarranged that a light could be placed between them.

The operation of this switch-signal is easily understood. In thedrawings the switch is shown as open and the red signal displayed, therod E being in a perpendicular position, it having been caused to assumesuch position, and it being held there by the weight b, the said rod Ehaving been by the act of opening the switch drawn away from the saidweight,

so that it could by its own gravity cause the rodEtoassumeaperpendicular position. Now, when the rails e f are moved so asto form a continuous line of. rails with the main track-g h the rod Epushes the lower endof the lever or rod D to one side, and consequentlythe red signal 0 is thrown behind the board B, as

shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, and the light passing through theopening a, a white signal is displayed.

I will here remark that when two turn-outs or switch-tracks are employedon the same side of the main track the signal will operate in the samemanner as above described, as is obvious. And I will remark in thisconnection that if the signal is to be used where there is only oneturn-out, the rod E maybe permanently secured to the lower end of rod orlever D, when the weight or its equivalent could be dispensed with. AndI will also remark that as an equivalent 'for the weight b a springcould be arranged so as to cause the lever or rod to immediately assumea perpendicular position so soon as liberated by the opening-of aswitch, and hence display the red signalfor instance, a spiral springarranged to draw or to push the rod E, so that it will assume a-Vertical position and answer the purpose.

The signal I'have shown is simple in all its parts, and it is soconstructed that should any of its exposed parts be broken or bent, asignal of all right could not be indicated, but, on the contrary, asignal of danger, which it is better should beindicated ahundred timeswhen there is no danger, than asignal of all right when there is danger,as is obvious.

I do not claim simply, an arrangement of levers, but

What- I claim as my invention, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent,is-

A railroad-switch signal consisting of the combination of a suitableframe or stand, A,

supporting a show board B,aperpendicularlyarranged vibrating lever D,provided with a

